Kiss Me When the Sun Shines
by Amaru Tanashi
Summary: If you stay away from others you will not suffer the pain that they would inflict, but if you dare to come closer to them, you will find yourself wishing that you had died. AU, mild torture, R&R, and angst. Hope you enjoy! Continued!
1. Kiss Me When the Sun Shines I

**Title:** Kiss Me When the Sun Shines

**Rated:** T

**Written For:** Chibi Ally

**Written By:** Amaru Tanashi/Creed's Rose  
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**Author's Note:** -clears throat- Hey guys! New and old! I'd like to say sorry to **Chibi Ally** because she was the first person to read my Loveless story and review it. For that, I would like to say thank you. It has been at least two years since I was supposed to write this story for you but now I am finally here to do it. My deepest and dearest apologies. I hope the plot is still the same though. I may have gotten some of the details wrong but I got in the tavern and stuff. I hope you don't mind Ritsuka being a slave. I just couldn't see him as something else in this story. XD Okay, enough with the plot spoiling.  
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_**Kiss Me When the Sun Shines**_

Ritsuka closed his eyes and bit deeply into his lower lip as the sound of a whip tore against his pale skin. His body was plastered with a mélange of sweat, blood, and vicious lacerations that were surely going to leave his flesh marred with numerous scars and bruises from his punishments. After his first three year of being Nisei's slave he had learned that it was better when you didn't fight back. Fighting back, for the most part, excited him and led to him carving the word "Loveless" into Ritsuka's skin a lot more than he was supposed to. It was a painstaking process that always scourged his delicate flesh and induced a soporific feeling which placed him in a niche located in the darkest corner of his mind. Life, he believed, could not become much worse than it was. The pain was like a mild, tantalizing itch that would never stop, but at least it was like an itch instead of flesh being torn, which he greatly appreciated.

Nisei was a cruel, old noble that was immutably bitter. He wasn't exactly old in any shape, size, or form, but his attitude showed otherwise. After suffering a bitter break up with his boyfriend, Semei, the man had become more or less like a despot in his own rights whether it be home or out in public. Naturally, he was a tyrant, but now it had begun to show even more. Meetings with other nobles and dignitaries had always turned into verbal fights or venomous arguments, but no one truly had the courage to fight back or hold their ground. All were too afraid of what would happen if they did.

_Cowards. _Ritsuka thought.

They were all cowards. For people so high and mighty, they were weaker than the people they subjected harsh punishments to. People of power were weak amongst themselves but when they were among the unfortunate they felt as if they were on top of the world and at the zenith of existence. Just for once in his life he wished that someone would put them all in their place. Someday, he was going to be that person, but not now. Now was too early to try something like that and it would probably cost his life which had barely begun or was on the verge of beginning. It would all take time, but the social order needed a revolution or they were never going to escape the tortures of power. He had to save his friends no matter what from the same fate. He had to save energetic Yuiko and his clever pal Yayoi. He also had to save everyone else that was trapped in the same situation. Liberation was the key but no one had yet to obtain such a thing. For now, it was just a word in the back of their mind which seldom came to the surface because they were all programmed to believe that they would never escape.

The boy released an inaudible sigh as the whipping stopped and his Master let out a hysterical laughed then ran deft fingers over the profound wounds, coating them with puce-colored blood. He knew that the man was marveling at the mysterious color like he did every day which never failed to surprise him. It was like having an obsession but only an unhealthy one. Many times after he and Semei had sex the other man would leave with multiple bite marks. Maybe he just had a fetish for blood. Either way, it didn't matter once those bite marks didn't find their way on him. The man was always going on about how good he looked to eat, and quite frankly, Semei had told him the same thing on the day they met. If he really did look that good he would be free just like they were.

"It would be wise to clean yourself up. We don't want a repeat of today's events, now do we?" Nisei chuckled darkly as he grabbed a handful of thick black curls.

Ritsuka yelped, but barely managed a painful nod. "Yes, milord."

"Good boy." The man smiled widely. "Don't forget that we have an important meeting in the morning. I wouldn't want those marks to be put there again since you heal so quickly. Make sure that you do a proper job this time. You surely wouldn't want the scars to show."

Nisei left the room and Ritsuka slid down to the floor where he curled up on the cold tiled floor with his tail draped over his waist. Sometimes he wished that he had a bed but Nisei would not allow that. He always preferred to let the pain seep through because of the frigid ground and hard surface. The only time he had heard the word "bed" mentioned in the home was when Semei was around. At least the man cared, but now he was gone. Semei was the only good thing he had ever seen in his life. The man looked just like him and felt a deep form of sympathy for him. He was still pure and innocent at heart and it showed outwardly as well. His ears and tail were still there proudly like they were meant to be and he was still the apple of everyone's eyes…which were usually taken out when Nisei found out.

The raven stood up and stumbled across the room to the bathroom to bathe. At least he had his own room which was constantly invaded by Nisei's prying presence. When he hit the tub he drew a bath, choosing not to risk a fall resulting from the shower. The water automatically became tinged with the pink wafts of puce blood as he slipped deeper into the water until he was completely submerged beneath the watery plane and shut his eyes to the world to escape into a catatonic state.

_Loneliness is state of disillusion that defines the thin lines called the Boundary of Solitude. Such a boundary is definite and cannot be erased; therefore, it is infinitely bound to society. There is no ascertain end to this boundary but it is surely known that it runs deep into your veins like blood or poison that kills the vitals from the inside out. It is a blessing and a curse. If you stay away from others you will not suffer the pain that they would inflict, but if you dare to come closer to them, you will find yourself wishing that you had died. People are horrible beings. _

_**All of them.**_

_Not one of them is good and if they are good they must still be judged with the rest of them because they are as corrupt as the others. _

_**No one is an exception to this rule. Not even me.**_

_No one is too good to be judged. They are all worth the hatred that has clouded your heart._

_**But I can't hate them.**_

_I am weak and so are you. The weak will never survive in this world._

_**That may be so but we are still power.**_

_Foolishness is in the heart of a child. You are just a child, thus you are a fool._

_**We are both fools but I have more ambition and a future to see through.**_

_You will never succeed._

_**We will see about that.**_

_You are nothing but a fool._

_**With ambition comes character and risks. **_

_Take a chance and you'll chance out._

_**If I chance out, at least I will know that I traveled down the labyrinth called "Maybe" instead of being a coward like you.**_

"_Maybe" is a road for fools._

_**Then I shall forever be called a fool.  
-**_

Sleek fingers ran up a length of cool glass then tapped tempestuously against its surface as if it were waiting on something. A low chuckle followed with the breaking of something ceramic that was probably one of the many figurines that had been daintily placed in the most strategic of manners. Another one broke and an earsplitting yell sent the two boys running for their lives.

"Sou-chan! Get those brats before I get them! They're breaking all of the antiques vases." Kio squawked in irritation.

The two boys snorted as they ran to the older man's side in defense.

"We didn't break anything, Kio." Youji announced a little withdrawn.

Natsuo nodded in agreement. "We just ran around them. You broke them all on your own. It's not our fault."

Kio clenched his teeth and stalked closer, sending the boys into an overly dramatic act of protection.

"Soubi, tell Kio to leave us alone. It isn't like we did anything! Well, anything to him that is."

"Really?" Kio asked sarcastically with folded arms. "I could have sworn that I woke up with a piece of my hair cut off, my clothes were thrown all over the floor, and my earrings were missing!"

Soubi took a sip of champagne and waved it off dismissively. "I'm not getting myself in this. But they really didn't do any breaking, Kio. You did."

Kio dropped his mouth in disbelief. If they hadn't done what they did in the first place there would have been no need for him to run after them in a house where Sevres seemed to rule alongside many paintings. In actuality, Soubi's home could have been made into a part-time art museum if he wanted. There was enough history in one room to make even historians jealous of the entire house's presence. He always tried convincing his friend to use it as an art museum but he had always wholly refuse saying that it was not what you would call real art. "Real art is a person's inner beauty. That is what you call true art." He would say, but Kio failed to see his point.

"Okay. We'll just settle this as friendly disagreement where you kids are right, but give me back my earrings _and_ my hair." Kio huffed.

"Nuh uh." Natsuo laughed.

"No can do." Youji chimed.

The man's left eye began to twitch. "Why not?"

"Because we want to see whose hair is better and blonder. Duh!"

From the first day he had met the two brothers he had known that they would be trouble, but he really hadn't expected it to run so deep. They were like rats which scurried to and fro without any care in the world as to who saw them moving about in public. They knew that socially they would have been considered rats but being Soubi's "slaves" made them seem more like they were in a middle class all by themselves. No one knew exactly how to react to them when they did something. It was like trying to walk on a rope of fire that you knew would inevitably burn and see to your death if you were not fast enough to escape its treacherous heights located above a pit of deadly spikes.

Kio tapped his feet against the marbled tiles and ran a hand through his hair. It really wasn't worth the argument, especially over a piece of hair that was no longer located with the rest of its abundant family which would not be noticed and earrings that could be easily replaced if he wanted them to. He looked around the room for his friend's bags then pursed his lips stubbornly with expectation he knew he wasn't going to get.

"Sou-chan, where are your bags and stuff?" Kio demanded.

Soubi raised a brow and lit a panatella. He took a deep breath as he allowed the delicious smoke to fill his senses. It tasted like the enriching scent of pine trees and filled his lungs with its herbal scent. Smoke released slowly out of his mouth with a sigh. Right. He had a committee meeting to go to in a few days and it was going to take him at least two days to get there. It wasn't like he had ever bothered to attend any so why was this month's meeting going to be important? He didn't have the slightest idea. The only thing he knew was that Kio really wanted him to go this month. Calling him lazy wasn't going to make a difference either. As a matter of fact, it didn't do anything at all. He had heard it every month for five years. Kio was just like a nagging wife that was never satisfied with what her husband did for her.

"There aren't any bags." The man answered.

Kio furrowed his brow in irritation. "Why aren't there any bags?"

"Because I'm not going."

"You never go!"

"Exactly. So why should I start going now?" Soubi asked sarcastically.

"Seriously? You need something to do besides sitting down all day sharing your life with a bottle of champagne, cigarettes, and two little boys, you pervert."

Soubi rolled his azure eyes. "Kio, I am not a pervert. It isn't like you're doing any better. You stay here every day with me, my bottle of champagne, my cigarettes, and my _little _boys."

Kio threw up his arms and pranced to the stairs. "You're going even if I have to send those brats with you. How's that for a classic?"

Soubi watched as Kio ran up the stairs muttering something about being antisocial then turned his gaze to the two boys that were staring back in equal astonishment. Well, that was the newest approach of the century. Now, he was equally sure that he would be going to the meeting. There wasn't anything to do at boring meetings except ask questions and listen to Nisei be a bitch. Honestly, he didn't want to deal with that load of shit but if he was going to be forced to go he would put a shard of glass down the man's throat. Semei could forgive him later if he wanted to.

"Trip time! Let's go pack!" Natsuo shouted as he took hold of his friend's hands.

"I smell some Semei action!" Youji giggled evilly.

Soubi scoffed indignantly. He couldn't believe that they still believed that he was interested in Semei. They had broken up a year after he had bought Youji and Natsuo but they all believe he wanted him back. Semei was sweet and all but it was a type of sweet that his much deeper things much like himself. On that note, it had created a wide range of distrust just like he had with his father Ritsu who had taught him what it was really like being a slave. He was absolutely sure that Semei was capable of the same thing. He was like black licorice which tasted ever so good no matter what.

"Nisei." One word was all it took.

The boys' faces flushes with horror. Well, at least they knew what to expect now. The trip wasn't going to be fun at all. Whoever said trips were fun was a liar. There really wasn't anything to do except stare blankly out the window of the carriage while being slowly cooked in the hot sun. Staring induced headaches because of the psychedelic colors and boring scenery. Eventually you would run out of things to discuss.

Twenty minutes later Soubi, Natsuo, and Youji found themselves in a carriage on their way to Hinoiri. Soubi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Life for the next five days was going to suck.  
**-**

_Loveless: unloved._

It was a word that played throughout his mind ever since the day he had seen it. Why did his name have to be _Loveless_ when everyone else got names such as Nameless and Bloodless, or Semei's perfect _Beloved_? He never understood why. Everyone had a name inscribed on their bodies since birth but he didn't have one yet he had been given the name _Loveless _like it truly belonged to him. Because he belonged to Nisei, his given name was particularly popular. It wasn't an excited "Hey, there's Loveless!" It was a disrespectful and mocking tone. If only he could be like those so called "Zeros" that everyone respected as if their lives depended on it.

Ritsuka looked in the box of clothes he had and pulled out a Prussian blue turtle neck shirt and black pants that were slightly tight albeit the fact that it was winter and snow was falling lightly against a forbidding breeze. It didn't matter if he wanted to wear a thick layer of clothes. Nisei would just tell him to take them off. What did he care about wearing clothes anyway? Hopefully he would freeze to death and die in the cruel streets or perhaps during the meeting. That would make a statement.

He pulled the shirt over his head and pulled on the pants quickly before putting his shoes on as he reached the door. Even though he was early, Nisei would still be ready to punish him for being late "again". In Nisei's world, there was no exact definition to the words "late" and "early". They all equated to the same thing and were worthy of punishment. The world didn't need another Nisei and if such a person already existed within the same plane of reality he hoped to never encounter him or her.

Nisei stood at the doorway and Ritsuka took a deep breath. When he reached the door he shut his eyes, expecting a slap to greet his soft cheek or some form of punishment. He waited a moment longer but still nothing came. An amethyst eye peeked through a slightly closed lid but only found Nisei standing there with a frighteningly genuine smile. That could only mean bad news.

"Be a good boy today, Ritsuka. We have a meeting in a few days so be mindful to behave today. We can't have you looking like you've been through a tornado when S. O. B. comes around." Nisei mused.

He never called Soubi by his name. It was always said by its equivalent of S.O.B. which technically meant Son of a Bitch. It all equated to the same thing because it sounded almost exactly the same way and he despised the man for being with Semei before him. It was like a bad case of karma when Semei left him. Soubi had left Ritsu, Semei had left him, and Semei had left Nisei. It was like a roundabout of departures. The last he had heard of the man was that he lived somewhere in another town way off and was studying art. Well, he was studying art while he was with Semei, too. Did he ever finish his so called "studying"?

Ritsuka nodded his head unsurely. It only took him doing something insignificant and the man would go crazy.

"Yes, sir. Where are we going today, sir, if you don't mind telling me?" The boy looked down at the ground beneath his feet.

Nisei ran cold hands over his ears. "Didn't I tell you last night? We're going to a meeting."

Right. He remembered the meeting today, but he was sure that there was a meeting to be held in a few days. There weren't any more meetings to go to unless this was one his many surprises that turned out to be bad things. A chill ran up his back as Nisei pushed him outside into the snow and closed the door behind them. The streets resembled blank pages whose blue lines had been covered up with white-out and left there as if no one would notice the difference. He wrapped his arms around his small chest to fend off the bitter cold but to no avail. If he did that, his arms were going to become shockingly cold or freeze.

Nisei rolled his eyes as the boy shivered. It didn't really matter if he was cold but when they got there he had to make sure it all looked good like he had been giving him the best of treatment a slave could get from someone of class. He pulled off his sweater and draped it around his slave's shoulders. That was going to cost him some form of punishment later. Why did he want to be cold in return for being "nice"? The laws of amenity should not have been interconnected with exchange. It was like trying to do economics. You surely had to suffer a tradeoff and the opportunity cost of being nice in his line of interest was his own self-interest. How unappealing.

They walked down a few streets filled with people doing some last minute shopping before it reached the holiday weekend. It was still Sunday so they had a lot of days left before they could not buy anything. Ritsuka watched as a few people bumped into one another but stifled his laughter. There were more important things to be focused on like where they were going but all of the bustling about of people just made things seem so interesting. He had never had a real holiday with anyone, not even his friends, but they always thrilled him. There was candy, presents, people to be with, happiness, laughter, and all the other wondrous things that he found exciting, but he knew that he would probably never experience such simplistic treats. Nisei had never allowed him to go downstairs during holidays or when people came over. It was always the same things: he was being punished or he was busy cleaning upstairs and the attic. All of his food was brought to his room but they were only miniscule portions or sometimes just table scraps. He was lucky if he even got anything at all. His nights were filled with misery and pain while Nisei's were filled with merriments and drunkenness from too much scotch or bourbon. There was no way that he could ever escape. Once inside his room, he was locked in until someone unlocked it for him. Every now and then he used to receive extra food from the cook Yamato but after Nisei found out he fired her and replaced her with another woman called Kouya. After Yamato left life began to look even dimmer.

They continued walking until they reached a building that Ritsuka had remembered as being the place where you made deals pertaining to the use of your slaves. He felt a jolt of happiness, anxiety, and pain rip through his chest as he looked at the red bricks and elegantly printed name above the doorway. Hopefully, Nisei may have decided to sell him to someone much nicer or someone who at least cared for their slaves. In any case, he would be free of Nisei but whoever's clutches he went in next would determine his fate even more than Nisei did. That was one thing he liked about the slave system: you could give away your slave at any time and sometimes you got someone better than the person you were with, but it was all a fifty-fifty chance. Some master grew excessively fond of their slaves and would keep them for eternity if they could. Slaves were the easiest ways to get things done and the best form of entertainment for the many sadistic people that were too lazy to do things themselves or find something useful to do with their time. Slaves were also the most pliable set of things (they didn't call them people) to have around. They could do any task that you wanted them to. There were sex slaves, entertainment slaves, and chores slaves. Then there were the few who were treated like people of the same class from their masters.

Ritsuka nibbled on his bottom lip excessively as they waited inside until his lips began to bleed with a little trickle which he quickly licked away before Nisei saw it. When they were called, Nisei smiled and pulled him along although he didn't resist it at all. Either way he was going to have his fate partially sealed. The door opened and he was greeted by the same woman that processed his papers to be sold to Nisei. She was around her late forties, although she looked much younger, with teal or turquoise colored hair which she probably dyed. She was considerably childish when the moment arose for it which was technically all the time. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that she was somewhere within his age or a bit older.

"Ritsuka, my dear. How has Nisei been treating you? I surely hope so." She said sternly as she stared prominently at Nisei.

_Not at all._ Ritsuka thought.

He nodded his head steadily, making sure that it suggested neither a "yes" nor a "no". He wasn't going to be sold right on the spot so he still had some time to be abused until then. "Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, stop with the ma'am, kiddy! Call me Nagisa. You should know better." Nagisa laughed.

"Uh, yes ma'am…Nagisa." The boy gazed downward.

Nagisa shifted herself in the chair until her legs were thrown across its arm and gestured for them to sit down. She was the most nonchalant person he had ever met which made her captivating because she was the first adult female that even bothered to care about him. If she and Semei ever got together and bought him, he would have technically had a mother and father! He would have felt perfect but life wasn't comprised of happiness all the time. It had to have its moments of anguish and despair.

"So what're ya here for, Nisei? You have our prized Ritsuka, so what more could you want?"

Nisei's lips pursed then fell into a content smile. "I just think that it's about time that I gave up my precious darling Ritsuka and got someone different."

Ritsuka said a silent prayer of thanks but his face remained straight. A new master meant new opportunities. If he was lucky enough, Nagisa would buy him.

She looked at Ritsuka and watched the confusing sway of his tail. Tails usually showed the emotion that the person was holding but his movements were confusing. They were always keyed in on a note of uncertainty. "How do you feel about this, Ritsuka?"

His eyes went duller and the uncertain movements of his tail increased. This was the part where he was supposed to beg Nisei to keep him but he couldn't pull that one off and even Nagisa knew it. Nisei would probably kill him if he said the wrong thing but acting out the dramatics of it was not in his field of learning. If he was supposed to cry then may be it would pass but he didn't feel like crying at all.

"Indifferent. Apathetic. Listless." Ritsuka commented. It was the same reply he had given her when he was about to be sold off to Nisei. She knew what it meant.

"I see. Well, here is the paper work. Ritsuka, you come with me. You know how this works or have you forgotten?" She blew a bubble.

"No, Nagisa." He said awkwardly then left Nisei alone in the room to fill out papers.

Originally, he had belonged to the Seven Moons but they had sold him off to Nisei at the man's request. The only reason he had ever seen him was because of his trip with Nagisa to a meeting. He was only seven at the time so his memory was particularly sketchy when it came to names and faces but there had been a man that had somewhat captured his attention. He knew that he had had slaves but he never went into the "Slave's Room" at any occasion even after he was sold. It was just a room for them to socialize until the meetings were over.

When he reached the room Nagisa held it open and closed it behind him. He began to pull off his clothes until there was nothing left to remove except his own cold skin. His skin was paler in the brighter lighting which only made sense because he rarely went outside and wore clothes that covered many places very often.

"Are you going to tell me the truth or are you going to be listless, indifferent, and apathetic in all manners of disinterest?" She asked coolly as her finger traced a barely noticeable scar with care.

He began to bite his lip again but didn't respond.

"Ritsuka, you can't tell me that you got this from falling or something. You know that I know better and you are not a clumsy person unless you're to the depths of your fright. How would Sleepless feel about this? What about Breathless and Bloodless?"

"Take me away from that place. Please, Nagisa." He said softly. "I don't want to be there at all. I prefer being with anyone else that isn't like him."

Nagisa nodded her head and held him in an easy embrace. "I'll do just that, kid. I know someone who will take good care of you."

When they returned, Nagisa had already adjusted here mood back to its childish and amused manner as she greeted Nisei once again. The man seemed to be quite satisfied with everything due to his lack of knowledge. Well, they did say that ignorance was bliss. Maybe it really was bliss. It had always been a speculation but now it was proven.

"So?" Nisei asked.

"We're good. Are you done with the paperwork?" She asked in return.

He nodded his head and eyed Ritsuka for a moment.

"Good. Well, come to me in two days with him and we will be through. I'm sure that the Moons would be very grateful to see him again." Nagisa mused. "Bye Ritsuka."  
**-**

Youji huffed and Natsuo sighed as they stared out of the window. According to the driver, they were only a few more hours away from the town but it still felt like forever. It was cold and the snow was falling in powdery endless streams. It was hot when the sun was still shining in the last town and the scenery was nice but the only thing they could see now was a landscape of snow. They did everything that they possibly could have done in the cramped space of a carriage and it hadn't been enough. Chess and checkers were not fun at all especially when Soubi always won. Conversations were actually boring without Kio to a disturbing degree which meant that they could only talk to one another.

"Soubi, this is boring." Youji groaned as he shoved Natsuo further away from him.

"I agree. Youji's getting crabby." Natsuo sniffled.

"You're getting a cold." Soubi answered tiredly.

Youji rolled his eyes, "Obviously…when we get there can we go someplace warm first? This snow is treacherous."

"Sure. I want to go to the tavern I used to stop by every weekend while I live here."

Natsuo perked up considerably and eased his way to the next side to sit beside him, both ears and tail swaying with interest. "You never said that you used to live there."

Soubi shrugged with disinterest. "Does it really matter?"

"Of course! You've been holding out on story time to leave us dying from boredom!" Youji said exasperated.

"Really? You two looked so entranced by the scenery." Soubi said sarcastically as he gestured toward the window which gave them view of all the snow covered ground.

"Haha."

"It's story time."

Soubi gave a nonchalant shrug and poured a glass of champagne. "Where should I start?"

The boys looked at each other then grinned evilly. "Ritsu."

"I was raised as a slave with the Seven Moons but we don't really consider ourselves to be slaves because we are treated much better than they are. Anyway, I was raised by Ritsu and he was technically my father but also my master. He tortured me and so on so forth." Soubi looked outside the window. "I was sold to Nagisa at the age of twelve like everyone else in which I belonged to her until I was eighteen. At that time, I had met Semei and he was rather…captivating I suppose."

"You suppose? You were his boyfriend." Natsuo snorted.

"He reminded me of Ritsu. Ritsu was nice but the strange type of nice that made you want to crawl in a deep hole of darkness. He smiled very often but it was a smile that could shatter at any moment. It was all a guise. Semei means nothing but harm to others so it made no sense to stay with him so we broke up."

"Who did the breaking up? Because everyone thinks Semei broke up with you but I think it's the other way around." Youji offered.

"Nuh uh. Soubi doesn't have that type of gut." Natsuo laughed.

"I was going to break up with him but he did it before I got the chance. That's why everyone says that he broke up with me. Really, that conclusion was only drawn because I was still a slave. Then Nagisa let me a few months later."

"That's where we come in!"

"Exactly. When you two came into the picture, I was just managing to get status with Nagisa's help. You two made things a bit difficult but we got there. Then we started going to meetings and that's where I met, HIM. God, I hope that man is dead already. At any rate, I wonder how his slave is doing. He was such a fragile looking beauty."

"Pervert…"

Soubi rolled his eyes. "He was about your age but he was never allowed to go into the 'Slave's Room'. Probably because he was from the Seven Moons. The man that owned him was an absolute tyrant and I'm pretty sure that he was abused which is a crime if he is of the Moons. His master and I never saw eye to eye so when Semei and I had broken up he automatically became Semei's new lover."

"Wasn't the kid's name Ritsuki or something? It was a Ritsu-something." Natsuo scratched his head questioningly.

"Nah, it was Ritsuka. He was weird…he didn't talk either." Youji grimaced.

"Ritsuka? Where was I when his name was mentioned?"

"Staring him down I guess." Youji laughed.

"Ahh, you mean that kid that stared at you and barely said anything. Did he say anything at all?" Natsuo gagged.

"Duh! I asked him for his name and said it. How do you think you know it?"

Natsuo shrugged unsurely, "Luck."

"Oh come on-"

Soubi leaned back and enjoyed the conversation which was taking place with the greatest amount of content. They were annoying at times but their arguments were full of entertainment and whether they knew it or not, Soubi was unsure. As long as they continued it the ride would be very exciting. They were indubitably childish and time consuming and it wouldn't hurt if he got one more while on the little business trip. Maybe he could stop by and see how Nagisa is doing as well. She had told him that he could come back and see her at any time he liked. They had things to catch up on like whether or Ritsu had died of a broken heart yet.

The man laughed deeply in ridicule in his heart. He was probably as cruel as Nisei in thought, but for all it was worth, it could not be helped. Ever since he had met Ritsu he had been counting down the days until he thought the man might die. Sadly, while he was still around, that day had not come as he had originally assumed it would. When he left and Ritsu had not died he went back to counting down the moments. It would serve the man justice if he died. At least he would be dead. His death was horridly based on the fact that his world was not complete without his little "liebling". It was a known fact that he was the one who took Soubi's ears and that when he was sold the man became terribly sick, but that still did not help the man die faster. Oh all the damn luck in the world…

Several minutes later they arrived in Hinoiri and Soubi took a deep breath as he helped Natsuo and Youji out of the carriage onto the ground. They were tall enough to come out of it themselves but Natsuo was afraid of heights which instigated Youji's preposterous acrophobia. He breathed in a breath of cold air and let a shudder ripple down his spine as he looked around. In his mind while at home, it all looked like a place that had been torn by mixed feelings of dread, happiness, conflict, and anguish, but now, it all looked like a place happily run down by hidden fright and corruption before the eyes of whatever unforeseen beast did it.

He smiled.

Hinoiri, the town of beasts, was nothing more than the pussy of the world. It was always ready to open its legs to anyone that was capable to of bringing it down to its knees in pleasure which was in the form of pain and suffering. It was, as one might say, a glutton or sex addict. Oh, how it longed someone to take their tongue and make it scream in ecstasy! It was the embarrassment of the aftershock that made people laugh with bitterness. But did it ever close its legs? Of course it didn't. The feeling of sex was just too delicious to run away from. It was much like a prostitute except a prostitute was proud of what he or she did because they had a reason why. It wasn't some extracurricular activity that they had stumbled upon, but it was a job. However, this old wretched town would lay with anyone who asked because everyone was capable of giving it pleasure. The slaves that they sold endlessly were products of such perversion.

"First thing is first, check into the inn." Soubi said aloud. The boys nodded their head in agreement and followed him inside with their luggage.

After checking in, they walked around asking directions to get to the tavern which he hoped was still around. Luckily it still remained because he wasn't in the mood for finding another one good enough to replace his old love. If his mind was truly interested in rekindling an old flame of hatred, he would have asked around for Nisei's address but it wasn't very important and he didn't need to extra controversy about his return which was surely not going to be permanent. His mind was buzzing with excitement and his heart tingling with the thrill of the upcoming meeting. He was going to see Nisei for what he hoped to be the last time and it was going to make a lasting impression. Everyone was too much like the very pussy they lived in to speak out and continue their arguments but he wasn't like that at all. By the end of the meeting, he was going to earn the title of "Soubi the Pussy Slayer". It was almost like a company slogan that he imagined would say: _**Is that pussy giving you problems? Want to get rid of it? Call Soubi the Pussy Slayer. We fight off the pussy!**_

Soubi bit his lip at the thought and replaced the reverberation of laughter with a light, sporadic whistle which only helped the laughter escape. If he was going to become a slayer, he might as well enjoy the bit of time he had to enjoy the wonders of such a delectable and deeply desired "meal".  
**-**

Little bird,

Way up high,

Why is it

That I cannot fly?

You have wings

And so do I,

But whereof is my strength to fly?

Fly away! Flee! Flee!

This world is full of misery.

Like a petal in the snow

We will fall for we cannot grow.

In the end,

Until that time,

We are broken-winged birds

That cannot fly.

_**-Amaru/LuzerA/Aiden**_

Ritsuka closed his eyes and bit his lips. It was like a repeat cycle all the time. The painful itch that wouldn't go away, the sound of whips ripping into his delicate skin, the blood which drowned his flesh in all its crimson beauty, the hysterical laughter, and the scars he would be burdened to heal-they were all a strange part of the process. It was almost like a ritual to be initiated into a cult of sorts in which the punishment was always painful but sooner or later, regardless of the ability to adapt, you would die from the constant loss of blood and repairing of the skin which produced an unhealthy and unstable amount of cells. If it were all a dream that he had experienced only a few days ago, he would have been glad to have it all over and done with by the time he opened his eyes.

_**Three, two, one…**_

Nothing.

It was all a false sense of hope. Hope was the essential equivalent of dread for it prolonged a man's suffering. What point was there in having hope when there was a chance that it might not come to pass? But he was just being a pessimist. A pessimist was all he was and all he would forever be, but after tomorrow, he would be an optimist so maybe for the first time in a long time, he would enjoy that harsh punishment and welcome it with open arms for he would not feel it anymore. He knew Nagisa would not sell him off to someone again. He was too fragile to be treated such a way and she now knew that she had poor judgment of character. To sell him off to Nisei was the worst mistake she had ever made but he would forgive her for it. All sins were pardonable with the exception of pointless hope. Hope was all but too foolish to pardon and he had learned that long ago. Whenever you decided to be an optimist the world came crashing down upon your head in waves of despair, leaving you with a feeling of insecurity.

But hadn't he decided to travel down the road called "Maybe"? If so, wasn't hope a part of such a choice? Maybe was full of uncertainty. Uncertainty bred hope and hope bred despair and insecurity.

_Insecurity…_

He knew that feeling. It was the feeling he got when he was alone with Nisei. It was the feeling he got whenever people stared at him. It was the feeling he got because of his own self-pity. It was pitiful but others were pitiless no matter what. They didn't know of forgiveness, of prosperity, of affability, or of generosity. It was all about the things which they could receive and how best to receive it. They were all insecure but they hated to deny it. It was an unchangeable fact. Their fact was fiction on a transmission that said "Please Stand By.

"I love you Ritsuka." Nisei whispered through the lashes the whip made.

Ritsuka remained silent. The man didn't deserve his answer no matter how horrible it was.

Another whip tore through and his world sent into a spiral of grotesque pain. It wasn't a mind-numbing itch. It was truly pain.

"I'll take your ears."

His mind quickened on its high as it registered the words. The only main parts of it were the words "take" and "ears". He couldn't lose them. Not yet. Not the man that he had despised for several years. It wasn't right. It couldn't happen-no! It could happen, but it shouldn't happen. It wasn't right.

There was no such thing as right or wrong. Right and wrong, much like truth and lies, were only a part of one's mental conditioning. Mental conditioning was also a form of brainwash. Puppets being led by their own instinct of what they "suspect to be morally or socially accepted by others".

Ritsuka moved his hands off the wall and quickly grabbed a vase which connected with the man's head in a shower of broken pieces. No one was going to have him that way. No one was going to make him corrupt. He wasn't a sex slave and he didn't want to be turned into one. Sex was a pointless thing. It was corruption in its purest form.

Nisei shouted curses as the boy ran pass, covered and sodden with blood and sweat to wherever. He couldn't worry about him leaving at the time because he was going to belong to someone else tomorrow after the meeting, but he had to worry about the piece of porcelain stuck in his skull which was pouring blood.

_You are a bird that cannot fly._

_**No I am not.**_

_You are weak._

_**So are you.**_

_At least I don't cry because someone wants to take away my innocence._

_**Because you are a slut.**_

_And you are not?_

_**Of course not.**_

_You and I, we are the same._

_**From this day forth, you can be whoever you want to, but from this point on I am Loveless.**_

_Coward…_

_**Only you would know.**__  
_**-**

Soubi, Natsuo and Youji sat lazily in the bar. They had been there for about an hour and Soubi had drunk at least seven glasses of whiskey without any problems which was unsurprising in itself. If he could smoke an entire pack of panatela by himself, what would stop him from drinking that much whiskey if he could drink much more bottles of bourbon? The boys yawned restlessly as they watched him begin to drink another with a content smile. Actually, the entire bar was watching as if they were in a trance. Soubi was back. So what? Whoopdeedoo! The boys didn't see the importance of it. Everyone was probably thinking that he was going to take over Nisei's place but they were very wrong for assuming so. In Soubi's world, they were a part of the enormous pussy so they could stay attached to it or drown in its wetness.

"This isn't any fun, Soubi." Youji complained.

"We can't drink this stuff. We aren't even old enough." Natsuo groaned in disapproval.

Soubi took another swig and rested the glass back onto the table. "Who would stop you two from drinking it? Those people?"

The boys frowned. It was the equivalent of stop asking because you know that I'm not leaving yet and you two still can't drink it even if they don't stop you because I will.

Natsuo propped his head up on his hands and gasped as a form of blood ran through the doors. He couldn't stop the gasp from forming and twisted his head anxiously in his brother's direction, who seemed to be too caught up in the sight to form a sensible response. It was like an angel of death had descended upon them all to take a drink but it was too ironic. Angels didn't drink, especially not the angel of death because it would inhibit his ability to perform his job effectively. What angel would be excused for doing their job under the influence of alcohol?

They ran over to where the boy collapsed and again Youji emphasized it.

"This _**isn't**_ fun anymore!"  
**-**

Hazy amethyst eyes opened and stared blankly into the coral colored canvas that may have been a ceiling or a floor. He wasn't sure. Perhaps he was suspended in the midst of his mind. It was quite contrary to what he thought it would look like. It was supposed to be filled with butterflies and turquoises of all kinds but it was filled with pinks, whites and soft blues like the ocean floor. It looked more like a girl's room if he thought hard enough but his mind was too numb with the buzzing pain that echoed throughout his brain. The first thing he tried to do was move but his body had no will. It was too numb.

_Is this what you mean by Loveless?_

_**No.**_

_Then what did you mean?_

_**I'm not sure.**_

_Indecisive._

_**Much like yourself.**_

_We are not one of the same._

_**You are right about that.**_

_You are you and I am me._

_**But together we still have equality.**_

_He hurt you._

_**I know.**_

_Aren't you going to do something about it?_

_**Not really.**_

_Coward._

_**My heart hurts.**_

_It's called despair._

_**I know what it is.**_

_Do you like to hurt?_

_**No.**_

_Will you continue to hurt?_

_**I'm not sure.**_

_Poor, poor, indecisive child._

"Soubi, is he ever going to wake up?" He listened to someone ask. It wasn't very clear in his ears but he was sure that they were referring to him.

"When he wakes up, he will wake up." Another person asked.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" Someone asked.

"He'll wake up." The other person responded.

"But what if he doesn't?"

"He's breathing isn't he? If he woke and didn't acknowledge anything he would be in a catatonic state."

"Same thing!"

Ritsuka forced out a groaned. It wasn't to let them know if he was still alive, it was more of a reassurance to let himself know that he was really still alive. Running at least half a mile pouring blood could have killed him and who knows what could have happened. Maybe if he was dead he was just listening to god and the other angels talk…that wouldn't make sense. They would have known whether he was dead or not so he had to be alive.

"He's wake now." Soubi answered a bit irritated and worried.

"Good! You can never be too sure." Natsuo folded his arms and leaned over to stare into dull eyes.

"Hey Ritsuka!" Youji shouted causing the boy to cringe in pain. "Right. Head must be hurting."

"You look like shit." Natsuo pointed out.

Ritsuka forced himself into a sitting position with Youji's help. "I don't know you."

"Well, that's beside the point. And you _do_ know us, especially that guy over there…well not so much but you should recognize him." Natsuo pointed at Soubi.

Ritsuka's eyes followed behind slowly as he looked at the man with long blond hair who seemed to be a little relieved instead of irritated. He shook his head no once more.

"Really? Are you sure because I can swear that-"

"Let him rest Natsuo. You can ask questions later." Soubi rubbed his temples in frustration.

Ritsuka looked down at his bandaged hands and pulled the sheet closer to his chest. Nisei was going to kill him if he went back. But if he did end up killing him he would be publicly executed.

_**Wouldn't that be fun?**_ He heard the voice in the back of mind say.

_We wouldn't get to see it._ He answered.

"Who did that to you?" Youji asked precariously.

Ritsuka closed his eyes and tried to run away into the distant depths of his delicate mind that would be as good as loose like liquid sloshing about in a half full container when Nisei was finished with it. He could already feel the nails ripping into flesh from the whip and the blood pouring like a waterfall down his sleek and fragile body. His clothes would be torn to pieces and his innocence would be ripped out of him regardless of whether he wanted it to or not. Nisei was going to kill him. There was no bright side to it. The people would tell Nisei where he was or who he was with if he demanded it and the people would lie to Nagisa for him not that she would believe them.

"Uhm…my master…" He said softly.

"Name?" Soubi further questioned.

He fumbled his fingers desperately and winced, "Nisei."

Natsuo and Youji looked abruptly at Soubi who's expression changed into a deep frown.

"How could they let Nisei own you? Who sold you to that bastard?"

"Nagisa…"

There was a bout of silence before Soubi stood up and grabbed his coat on the way to the door.

"Stay here until I come back."  
**-**

Nagisa rubbed her forehead and released several sighs. Selling off Ritsuka was truly showing bad judgment on her part which was completely unacceptable. It wasn't entirely her fault. At the beginning, Nisei seemed to be like such a nice man and his manners and tone of voice which accompanied him only seemed to clarify this point, but now it all seemed ethereal like wafts of smokes being carried away in the wind. She was going to be in trouble for this and she knew it, but what could she do other than take him away and give him to someone else…or buy him like she did Soubi.

"Now that would be very nostalgic." She forcibly laughed as she signed a few documents.

Buying Soubi was one of the best things she could have possibly ever done in her lifetime. He might have been very fragile-looking but he had more nerves than anyone she had ever met and a strong mouth. Although it was frequently clouded by an air of vacuity, you could have been sure that you wouldn't be left without some form of verbal constitution. He was one of the best things around at that time, but now he would be back for a day perhaps (she wasn't entirely sure).

"You really did bring the true meaning into the word 'fighter'." Nagisa announced as the door opened.

Soubi snorted. "Talking to yourself in your own misery must be quite entertaining."

"You should know." Nagisa retorted. "I'm so happy to see you." She stood from her seat and ran to embrace him deeply. "My little Sou-chan." She whispered.

Soubi equally returned the hug but pushed her aside as he sat in one of the chairs. "We have a problem that I want you to take care of."

"First I need something from you as well." She offered.

Soubi considered it for a moment. If it was possibly going to get him what he wanted then he should at least listen to it. Hell, listen to her right now? Was that even an option at the time?

"Fine." He crossed his arms over his chest like a spoiled child.

"Nisei."

"We're on the same page. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I didn't know he was some sick bastard, Soubi." Nagisa defended as she drew up his records. "He's all fine up in the head and his personality just gives off this-this-"

"False air." Soubi offered.

"Exactly. Now he's selling the kid but I don't want to give him up to someone that I don't trust or know, which is not a part of my job. My job only entails the safety of those of the Seven Moon. I got really careless."

"No shit." The blond cursed. "Has the offer been made final as yet?"

"No. I haven't even added it as yet."

"Good. Pass his papers."

"Can you really deal with one more?" Nagisa bit her lip.

Soubi glanced up from the papers she had handed him and raised a brow. "Natsuo and Youji are just fine. I'm sure they can help me out with him. I assume that he's one of those that live in a ball?"

She nodded twice.

"Typical."

"You'll buy him, right?" Nagisa asked once more for confirmation.

"Of course."  
**-**

When Soubi arrived back at the hotel room things were in an upheaval. Natsuo was all over the room panicking and Youji in a somewhat comatose state of shock. At first he didn't realize what was going on but when he did the only thing he could bring himself to do was laugh softly as he ran sleek fingers through his hair. Maybe leaving them alone with a boy who had been abused to the point of no return wasn't such a good idea.

"Soubi," Natsuo pointed. "I think he's dead."

"He isn't dead." Soubi announced after checking his pulse, "He just needs more rest."

Youji sighed in relief as he watched Soubi fix the blanket over his body. If fate had it so, the kid was going to be just like Soubi without the extreme perversion once he wasn't corrupted beyond repair. Considering all the bruises that were there it was easier to conclude that he was being abused like a religion. Everyone needed their reason to do something, but the person who owned him obviously didn't. They seemed to be one of those people who would do things out of spite, anger, or just boredom of the lowest degree. A chill ran up his spine as he considered what it would have been like if Soubi was that way. Considering how Soubi was raised before Nagisa bought him, they would have been in for a wild ride of pain that might have led to death. The man was the only person they knew that had such a high tolerance to pain that he sometimes enjoyed it.

"Masochist…" Youji mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Natsuo asked.

The boy threw up his hands guiltily and started to splutter. "Nothing really! I was just saying how Kio is going to kill us when he finds out that we took his pretty pair of earrings."

"Oh yea! Soubi! You have to try them on. They're pretty." Natsuo offered as he rummaged through one of their bags.

The blond rolled his eyes and patted their head. "No thanks. I'm just fine with the ones I have on."

"But these ones are made of jacinth!" Natsuo emphasized by pointing at the red gem. "You just need to try them on!"

"I don't need to anything. I don't want to try them on. Is that okay with you because it's okay with me?" Soubi rubbed his temples.

The boys pouted then put the earrings back into the bag. Well, they had taken them for nothing. The least he could have done was tried them on. It wasn't like they wanted him to wear them for the entire time.

Soubi laid across the bed tiredly as he contemplated his next move. Seeing as he was going to buy Ritsuka from Nagisa, there was no way that he could stay for the meeting unless he meant to cause the boy harm. Surely Nisei wasn't going to let things go so easily especially when news hit him that he was in town. People talked and that was a serious thing. Everyone was going to be saying: "Oh dear me! Soubi has returned. Did you hear that at the bar Nisei's slave was bleeding to death and Soubi saved him? His slaves were also there, too. What a wondrous day it is that he has returned!"

The blond snorted at the idea. He wasn't there to save them from whatever nonsense they had gotten into while he was gone. The only reason he was even there was because of Kio's severe annoyance with Natsuo and Youji and his need to be alone when he allowed them to get away with doing nonsense to him. If it weren't for that fact, he would be home quite cozy painting. He hadn't bothered to bring a canvas or brushes. This was just wrong. His mind was deeply agitated but what was he going to do? Hopefully, after the meeting was over tomorrow, which he still _wasn't_ going to attend, he would head over to Nagisa, sign the papers, and take Ritsuka back with him. It almost sounded like they were going to elope except it lacked a church.

Perhaps, if fate had it so, they would all take the earliest ride out and escape the pussy of the world.

The next morning was greeted with the most unpleasant of things to ever happen. There was a loud knocking on the door and Soubi was just about ready to stab the person that was doing it with a steak knife. There was really no need to do something like that. A simple, soft knocking could have done the trick. It wasn't like he slept deeply. As a matter of fact, none of them slept deeply enough not to be awoken by knocking. Besides the knocking, who knew which room they were in except the people in the inn?

"People talk." He reminded himself and opened the door, just about ready to scream in frustration as the knocking grew persistent.

"Goodness, Soubi! How long does it take you to wake up?" Nagisa said hurriedly as she slipped into the room pass Soubi onto the bed next to Ritsuka. "You've really let yourself down these days."

Soubi raised his brow slightly but closed the door behind him.

"Nagisa?" Youji and Natsuo blurted in disbelief.

She smiled back in wide creepy grin then exhaled deeply as if trying to catch herself. "Hey boys. I hope Soubi has been treating you two like dolls. You've gotten so big and you've gotten much prettier Youji."

"Thanks." Youji muttered. "I really appreciate it."

"Nagisa, I was supposed to come to you later. Not you come to me now." Soubi offered.

"Well, you know how things are when you have a tight schedule with the Moons." The woman chided. "Ritsuka, my dear! I have something for you."

The boy looked at her in uncertainty but forced himself to his feet, feeling the slight sting of the remaining pain.

"Yes, ma'am, Nagisa?" He looked at her with slight interests.

The woman beckoned him further to her as she played whimsically with the papers in her hand. "I have a gift for you. Well, it's from me and yours truly over there." She gestured towards Soubi.

"Oh, stop the drama hag! Get on with it!" Natsuo squirmed impatiently.

Youji nodded in agreement with a large smile.

Nagisa pouted like a spoiled child before clearing her throat indignantly. "Fine you brats. Ritsuka, in light of what has happened to you and the fact that Nisei has given you up to be sold to someone else, I, and yours truly once again, have made special provisions in order to take care of you and keep you from further cruelty. God, the Moons would have my head if it happens again. You know and understand how the system works and you understand that you are on the markets to be bought as something rare and valuable."

Ritsuka nodded in uncertainty which glistened brightly in his eyes.

"Good. Now, before you lose it in here or cry I just need to tell you that you need not worry because you will be treated very well and taken care of. As I was saying though, in light of those facts, I have asked my darling Soubi to be your master. At one point, he was my slave after he was trained by Ritsu so you can see the level we are getting at here. You will only be his slave in name but you are as free as you have ever been. Soubi, anything you would like to add?"

The blonde's lips quirked into a smile. "Once we leave here in a few hours or minutes, you will never need to look back because we are your new family now."

"Yea, cuz now we're like brothers with a common master!" Youji and Natsuo laughed.

Ritsuka looked at them for a minute then forced a smile that would not escape. Was this really a good thing? Was everything really going to be all right with a man that he had barely any knowledge of and two strange boys that seemed to be perfectly on the same level of existence with him? In the arms of Soubi, Nagisa had promised freedom and he had promised escape from eternal nightmares which haunted him within the town. Maybe it was going to be just fine with them. Maybe it was all going to be different like when the sun shines after the rain has finished falling. Everything was left with a sense of renewal and freshness. It was a new beginning, a new life, a new start in life. In the arms of a stranger, he was going to be all right.

"Uh…okay." He mumbled.

"Oh come on! Say more than that! You've got a tongue! Use it! Or has Nisei taken it out, too?" Natsuo whined.

Ritsuka blushed slightly and turned his head away. "No, Natsuo. Can we leave now?"

Soubi walked over to him and rubbed his head gently. "Whatever, Ritsuka wishes, so shall it be."

"Pervert!" Youji whispered in a sing-song voice.

Nagisa smiled and sighed deeply into the air before standing to her feet. "Now that we have that done, I'll see you guys whenever you come to visit. Soubi, be a good boy and take care of the kidies."

After thirty minutes of packing and leaving the inn during the cover of people which traversed the streets, they reached the train station and boarded the train. Ritsuka stared absently out of the window, lost in his own newly found happiness and engaging in a slightly almost nonexistent conversation with his "brothers". They were a chatty bunch as he was learning and Soubi seemed to be quite quiet as long as they didn't engage him or bother him. Soon enough he concluded that they were interesting in their own way.

His eyes grew heavy as the hours of lost sleep finally weighed on his shoulders. At least they were appreciated lost hours that were worth the time. Snow fell softly as if it were a svelte form against the ground and along the wind which danced along like it was in a fairy circle. The sky was overcast and the sun was barely visible behind the ash gray clouds, becoming a mere luminous bright mass of white light.

"Ritsuka, are you going to fall asleep along the way?" Soubi asked softly.

The raven nodded easily.

"I'll wake you up when we arrive."

"But please kiss me when the sun shines."  
-

**Author's Note:** That was long as hell! I mean, the original thought was much shorter in my mind but when I put fingers to keys the words just fall out more and more. All thanks for the story idea goes to **Chibi Ally** who gave me this wonderful story plot that may have been messed up a bit because of the creativity bug. Aha, this was one long oneshot. Would have been longer but I deleted three pages and rewrote them. I thought it was never going to end! **:3** Thank you guys for reading and I apologize for its lengthiness.


	2. Kiss Me When the Sun Shines II

Kiss Me When the Sun Shines II

Rated: T

Author's Note: Well, since so many people were asking for a sequel I gave in and agreed to it. The plot that I had intended for this was switched because I just couldn't work with it. I felt like I violated it somewhere along the lines or writing it so I started again. Funny thing about it is that I was already on page three but you know…sometimes things just need to change. Eh…I think I do too much analyzing of my thoughts when I write. If you ever noticed, any conclusion made in one of those oh-so dramatic paragraphs detailing life and emotions are my exact thoughts on such things.

* * *

They say that a bad beginning makes a good ending, but Ritsuka wasn't entirely sure if that was the case. He was in a new place, in a new environment with new people whom he didn't know or remotely remember. It was like sitting consciously within an abstract darkness, simply floating there in an endless abyss with no hope of discovering absolute consciousness. He had once been told that this abstract darkness was a symbol of hope, but what type of hope was it that you would float within your own subconsciousness? Nothing was achieved by hiding within yourself; it only brought your cowardliness into light for everyone to see.

What was there to say about him? No one knew him and no one would probably care to know him when they arrived in wherever they were going. He still hadn't asked and would not do so. They were strangers to him, strangers that seemed to care for him but that was the way they all were. They all nothing more than people who would come and go in his life. They would enter like snow then melt away only to return again. What was the point of it if he knew that they were only there for a season? He was only twelve but he was sure that this master wouldn't be around very long. If he had once been a slave then he would see fit to release him, or so he hoped. In most cases, former slaves felt empowered once they owned a slave of their own. They would treat their slaves just as cruelly as they were treated or worse.

The soft, velvet snow continued to fall as they stepped out of the carriage, bags in hand, in front of an 18th century gothic styled mansion with roughly five feet tall turrets, pointed, yet depressed arcs, and flying buttresses. It expressed an artistic sense of being ecclesiastical, yet still seemed to be light and expressed sheer verticality. It was an interesting style but probably for someone with exquisitely artistic taste. The arches were made of marble and festooned with polychrome decorations, lined in black and white segments with mosaics and lunettes.

Ritsuka stared uncertainly at the building. It was larger than Nisei's mansion and much more finely made. The person who built it had fine taste, he concluded.

"Welcome home, Ritsuka!" Youji chuckled, pulling him along past Soubi and Natsuo. "You're going to love it here!"

"Hey, wait up!" Natsuo shouted as he ran after them, leaving Soubi to simply smile at the new addition.

Ritsuka didn't seem to quite fit in all but that was fine with him. He didn't need to fit with anyone. The only thing he required of him was to exist and nothing more. He didn't need him to obey his every whim and want because he surely would not want to do the same for anyone. He had had his share of torture, heartache, bruises which were still slightly visible under his creamy skin, lost hopes and dreams, and the increasingly rare tears which his eyes would shed.

Tears were a sign of weakness and nothing more. It showed that you could not handle your own reality or could not fight against your own overwhelming emotions. Of course there was a time for tears as he had been taught, but what was the point in having tears if they were always forced and false? He had no reason to cry. He did not cry the day Semei left him. He did not cry when he was sold as a slave. He did not cry when he was brought into this sinful world. And he had not cried when everything seemed utterly hopeless. Tears were absolutely weak…mere friends with self-destruction.

He followed nimbly behind, taking dawdling steps along the cobblestone. Kio was not going to be very happy at the thought of having another slave running around the house. He felt as if Soubi could barely control the two he had.

Well, in all manners of knowledge, he did not desire to control them as if they were slaves. Natsuo and Youji may have been bought by him but he didn't see them as his slaves. He had suffered too much to desire to have slaves of his own. It would an injustice to himself and other slaves who had suffered and were suffering the same fate as he did. The pain was still etched into him by the process of intaglio. He could feel the old scars which had now faded away as if they were never existent, but he knew that they had existed and they still did: physically, no; mentally, yes.

He did not want Ritsuka to suffer the same fate again. Not now or ever again. If it called for it, he would keep him until he was old enough to no longer be under his ownership by his own choice. His only wish was for them to be happy and content people in a damaged and destitute society. It was a dream he had struggled to maintain. Between trying to make at least one friend and become socially acceptable, he had lost his feeling of what truly made him happy.

Was there anything that truly made him happy? He wasn't entirely sure. The first time he had met Kio was one of the happiest moments in his life but not the first. Semei was his first true happiness but that was a long time ago, possibly a few weeks before he bought Natsuo and Youji. Now that he thought about it, he had only bought Natsuo and Youji as a means to distract himself from his depressed thoughts which seemed to eat away at him from the core. They were only meant to be distractions at the time and nothing more, but what could he say now? He had grown accustomed to them and they had grown accustomed to Kio's forever existent presence. The only thing left to do know was make Ritsuka accustomed to Kio and vice versa then his life would be complete.

"Soubi! Hurry up! It's cold out here ya know!" Youji giggled.

Soubi rolled his eyes but quickened his pace. It would be pointless to prolong their stay outside knowing that Kio was somewhere within the bowels of his home and not expecting someone so soon.

"Kio's going to be soooo angry!" Natsuo laughed, pulling on Ritsuka's delicately pale hands.

Youji snorted, kicking at the cobblestone. "Who cares! That's three of us against one, now! You think he misses those earrings?" He asked cheerfully.

The door whipped open as Kio snatch the boy by his ear. "Of course I miss my earrings. Sou-chan! Why did you punish me this way! Damn brats! They're always being nagging, annoying brats!"

Ritsuka began to edge his way backward bumping against Soubi who smiled at him encouragingly. He didn't want to be here. Right? Nagisa had said that Soubi would take care of him but that was apparently incorrect to some extent. No one ever said that it wasn't just going to be the four of them, but the assumption that there were _only_ four of them had made him feel at least hopeful. Whatever bits of hope he had were slowly dwindling away.

"As you say, Kio," Soubi stated calmly, "brats will be brats."

Natsuo and Youji stuck out their tongue and started pulling on Ritsuka's arms.

"Kio, look at what we've got!" Youji exclaimed.

Kio stared down at Ritsuka for a moment then back at Soubi in question. He wasn't connecting the thought properly as far as he was concerned. Soubi wouldn't be crazy enough to buy another slave to torture him with. He knew Soubi enjoyed seeing him acting like a complete ass but this was just too much. To buy another slave just to torture him, it was just…

"Sou-chan!

* * *

"I can't believe you went and did that, Sou-chan!" Kio panicked as he paced back and forth across the room.

Soubi was sitting in a wooden chair made of mahogany with his legs crossed, face holding an expression of disinterest and distraction. Listening to Kio at the moment would have been on his to-do list but dealing with Nisei was another problem. He knew Nisei too well to let things go that easily. The man would not do it. He would hold it against him and anyone else in his way until he got back at them. He was a petty and vindictive snob who needed to know his place among others.

"I can't believe you did that! I should have gone with you!" Kio rehearsed. "Stupid, stupid, stupid me! Sou-chan!"

Soubi raised his hand, a strange calm plastered over his face. "Stop talking so I can think."

The blond ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Why couldn't things ever go as planned? He had absolutely no problem with keeping Ritsuka but dealing with Nisei was another problem. It was like his old life was beginning to haunt him again. What else was missing to ruin his newly established life of perfection?

Semei. That would to the trick and he wasn't about to let it happen so easily. He would fight to keep his life in order if that was what it would take. He wasn't about to let Ritsuka go either. No one was getting added or subtracted from his life now so he would not allow Nisei to damage what was his. He had worked too hard to build what he now called his life. What Nisei had gotten thrown into his lap was what he had to work for. No one, he thought, was going to damage things so easily, especially not a coccydynia like him.

* * *

Author's Note: And we now have a plot to work on thanks to you darlings! I felt the happiness of the light last night around 12 am to write this. It was amazing! Read, review and alert guys.


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